LIV
Harrison and his men had left to complete a task immediately after they'd returned to the inn, citing it was an emergency. James hadn't really cared one way or another, but Alex had seemed troubled by this, concerned for his older brother.
?They said they'd be back by the next day and Harrison had warned them to stay put.
?That was fine. James didn't mind it there. He hadn't been in Athel's Lynn since he was a child so it felt fresh to him.
?During the day, he sparred with Thomas, proud that the knight had been improving.
By the time dark was falling, Thomas dragged Fletcher out of their room to force him to take a break, taking them all to a pub.
Riley was already there when they arrived and James had been told off by Alex for bursting into laughter over that fact.
?Alex didn't understand, though. Riley thrived better when mocked. It returned the flame of fight within him. If anything, he was doing the snake a favour.
?He spent most of his time there staring at Alex, admiring him. All of their skins had darkened in the sun, but Alex's was glowing, his face smooth. His lashes were long and thick, fluttering when he became nervous by the odd comment made by the others.
?Riley had seen that he'd been staring, pointing this out, and James had told him: "It's only the same way you look at your wine."
?He'd earned criticism from everyone at that point but he was in a good mood, so he didn't care.
?Bored by the conversation, a neat little idea formed in his head, an opportunity presenting itself.
?"I'm going back early," he murmured in Alex's ear.
?Alex brushed a hand on his arm, stopping him from leaving. "Why?"
?James didn't give an answer, only a noncommittal shrug, and left.
?He knew Alex. He knew he would soon be followed.
?At the inn, he went straight to the bathroom, stealing a towel and using their facilities. The water was warm and comforting. He took longer than usual, a plan in mind.
?He returned to the room, not bothering to get dressed. He knew that such an effort would become undone regardless.
?Alex came through the door, just as James' had predicted, shocked by his nakedness.
?As soon as the door clicked shut, James wasted no time pouncing on Alex, delving both hands into Alex's hair and claiming his lips.
Alex grunted in surprise and James took the opportunity to shove his tongue in, pulling back Alex's head to give him better access.
It was filthy, going as deep as he could, but the taste of wine on Alex's lips was just as addictive and rich as the man himself.
?Regaining self-control, Alex shoved him away, biting James' lip to pry him away.
?James touched the wound, the skin split, and he laughed, the pain making him feel hotter.
?"What are you doing?" Alex asked breathlessly.
?"You're not stupid," James replied, stepping forward and crowding Alex again.
?Alex looked unsure, worried, even. James pressed their bodies together, pinning Alex against the door. James groaned. Alex was just as hard as he was through his clothes. He shifted so their groins rubbed together and Alex bit his lip against a sound.
?Unable to wait any longer, he grabbed Alex's biceps, hauling him across the room and onto his bed, using the element of surprise to conquer Alex's superior strength.
?Alex fell onto the mattress, eyes wide. "Wait, wait, wait," he said, his eyes darting around.
?James got on top of him but didn't lower himself, waiting like Alex asked. It wasn't a matter of Alex not wanting it— that much was clear. No, something annoying was in his head again.
?"They won't be coming back for a while," James explained.
?Alex shook his head. "Not that."
?He stared at Alex's face for a moment, like the words may appear in his eyes. Then, he remembered Alex's reservations from last time; about the whole issue of submission and dominance. That was the silly reason behind the delay.
?James truly wanted to strangle him.
?"Say yes or no," James insisted, impatient.
?James wasn't going to play such a stupid game, which was why he wouldn't tell Alex what he had planned. Either Alex wanted what James had to give, or he didn't.
?Alex bit his lip and then sighed. "Yes," he decided.
?That was all James needed.
?James ground their bodies together and Alex hissed from the pleasure and weight. James cursed under his breath, feeling good but not close enough to the other man.
?Annoyed by the fabric getting in his way, he sat back on his knees and tore off Alex's trousers, Alex lifting his pelvis to aid him.
James threw them to the ground and lightly rubbed his fingers over Alex's upper thigh, watching in satisfaction as the other man shivered and his skin roughened with goosebumps.
?"Your body is so sensitive," James complimented.
?"Your hands are rough," Alex shot back.
?He supposed both could be true at the same time.
?He feathered his hands up, teasing as it got closer to Alex's hard cock, lightly brushing against it just to torture him.
?"If you don't stop teasing me I'm going to put your mouth on it," Alex groaned.
?James grinned wickedly, tempted to start such a fight, not knowing if he'd ultimately let Alex win or not. Alex certainly had the strength to get close and James would find such a display sexy.
?But, no, he had something else in mind.
?Alex tried to sit up but James forced him back down, pushing his chest to the bed. He could've kept teasing, but he didn't think either of them would have the patience.
?"You'll want to wait," James promised.
?"What I want is to get off," Alex retorted, but he obeyed anyway.
?James picked up a vial from the floor next to the bed, which he'd placed there in preparation, pulling out the cork.
?"What's that?" Alex asked.
?James smiled and drizzled some of it onto the other's man's cock, it twitched and Alex grunted from the cold temperature of it. James quickly fixed the issue by rubbing it in with his hands, finally granting Alex the pleasure he'd promised.
?"Stole some olive oil from the kitchen," James answered, late. By this point, Alex was beyond caring, indulging in the sensation that was being given to him.
?"Fuck," he sighed.
?There was enough light in the room to ensure James could see him clearly this time. He'd made sure of that before Alex got there. It'd been worth it, seeing Alex's heavy-lidded eyes blown with pleasure, his lips parted.
?"Come up here," Alex said, pulling James' shoulders and taking the vial away from him.
?James kept one hand working Alex's dick and leaned on the elbow of the other, their bodies fitting snugly together.
?There was no organisation or rhythm this time.
James could hardly stay concentrated when Alex had taken a violent handful of his hair and forced his tongue into James' mouth, returning the filthy kiss he'd been given moments earlier.
It was intrusive and disgusting how deep it went in his throat, spongey and slippery, and James loved every single second of it.
?Alex's fingers released James' hair and started shifting behind James' back. It wasn't until Alex's hand snaked downward and began pumping him, smooth and lubricated, that James understood, groaning at the heady pleasure of it. His own grip tightened inadvertently, earning him a curse from Alex.
?James broke the kiss, pressing their sweaty foreheads together.
?"How far are you?" he whispered to Alex.
?Alex chuckled, "Well, I haven't really had the privacy to wank myself off recently, have I?"
?That was the cue for James to cross the line he'd planned for himself. If he wanted to back out, now was the chance.
?He looked at Alex's face, the swollen lips, the dazed eyes, the tousled hair. He wanted to see more than this, he craved more.
?"Where did you put the oil?" he asked.
?Alex looked at him, not understanding. "I don't need any more of it."
?James let go of his cock, pushing himself away. Alex grunted in complaint, trying to pull him back again. "James," he complained.
?James shook his head. "Oil."
?Alex huffed and then reached beside the bed to retrieve it. "Now put your hand back on my cock."
?"You shut up, now."
?On his knees, he poured more onto Alex's cock, ensuring it was as slick and slippery as possible, even if it seemed excessive. Alex was propped up on his elbows, watching in confusion, his heavy brows furrowed.
?Then, James enjoyed the sobering look of shock that widened Alex's eyes as he reached around to press a finger into his own arse.
?"James, what are you doing?"
?"You said yes," James said simply, wincing from the unpleasantness of something foreign entering his body.
?James had no experience doing sex anally, but he'd seen enough to have a rough idea of how it went. He knew preparing in the bath wasn't enough and that this was also an important step.
?"I didn't know this was the question," Alex breathed.
?The look of almost painful desire and wanting on Alex's face, along with the restrained worry, was so cute that it was worth the discomfort.
?"Are you going to turn it down, then?"
?Alex bit his lip, struggling internally. But, James knew he was just projecting his own biases and stereotypes onto James. James didn't care and that was all that mattered. He didn't have to be feminine to do this, Alex had to get over that.
?Alex slowly shook his head and James grinned. He'd won without having to asphyxiate him.
?Once he'd lubricated himself and had ensured he was stretched enough, James straddled Alex's waist, rubbing his arse against the other man's begging cock.
?Then, he hesitated.
?"Hey. Don't move, okay?"
?He suddenly got the vulnerable sense that Alex could see through him, reading the anxieties in his words. He doubted Alex would take advantage of him anyway, but he needed the request to be said for his own peace of mind.
?"I won't," Alex promised, sincerely.
?James nodded and then committed to his idea. He lined Alex's cock up against his hole and gently bore down. Even though he'd seen two men have sex before, a part of him had been doubtful that such a thing was even possible, especially considering Alex's size.
?It wasn't comfortable or pleasurable by any means. It burned and stung, but James was fine with the pain. Even if it felt different than the usual injuries he'd sustained, he could cope. He tried to force himself down, but Alex put his hands on his waist, stopping him.
?"Be gentle with yourself," Alex scolded.
?"Shut up and wank me off," he snapped. He didn't want to be coddled, nor did he want to go soft from the unpleasantness.
?Alex grudgingly did so, concern etched into his features. It was enough to keep James' body interested. But James felt like he had something to prove by not allowing the pain to reach his face.
?"Why do people enjoy this?" James muttered.
?He'd seen other men look blissed out with someone's cock inside them, but so far, James was halfway convinced that they'd been pretending.
?"You don't have to," Alex said.
?James wanted to.
?He rocked up and down, easing Alex's cock inside him, filling him up.
He could see the appeal from a conceptual standard, just not a physical one.
It was sexy to think that their bodies were joined but nothing more.
It wasn't long until he managed to bottom out, the muscles inside him finally giving way.
?Alex groaned, and the blissed-out expression on his heated face was enough for it to have been worth it.
?"Enjoying yourself?" James asked, humoured.
?"You have no fucking idea."
?His body had adapted quicker than expected, the stinging subsiding, and James began to move up and down, sneaking his hands under Alex's shirt to feel the bumps of ridges of his muscles. If he wasn't allowed to see, he'd make the most out of being able to touch.
?He found a steady pace, dropping himself on Alex's dick just to hear the little gasps and hitches of breath that Alex made.
?Once he got used to it, James thought it wasn't so bad after all, finding pleasure in the sexual power he had over Alex, enjoying getting his dick rubbed.
?Alex's hips moved a little, jolting. He leaned back, holding onto Alex's thighs to stop him from bucking further.
?Then, he shivered, gasping. Something sparking inside him, vibrating under his skin, his cock twitching.
?"Oh," he chuckled, surprised, "that's why."
?When James moved, he started to aim for that spot again, groaning and shivering each time he got the angle right, the sensations fizzing and capturing him entirely.
?"Fuck," he moaned, panting from the exertion with no intention to stop.
?"Enjoying yourself?" Alex threw back at him, sounding just as breathless. James didn't grant him the satisfaction of an answer.
?Throwing himself into the feeling, he unapologetically indulged in it. Figuring out the angle, he quickened the pace, allowing himself to build up and get close, before pulling back and slowing, not allowing either of them to finish. Alex writhed from the torture but followed James' lead.
?James leaned forward, suddenly starving for Alex's attention. He wanted Alex to know that this was him that was making him feel good. He didn't want him to ever forget.
?Alex's skin was hot against his lips as he grazed his teeth against Alex's neck. Alex trembled, letting go of James' cock to pull on his hair with both hands. The stinging felt good.
?"Next time," James said, nipping below his ear. "I'm going to be the one fucking you and I'm going to watch you come undone. I want you to unravel and become ruined." He bit down, earning himself a hiss. "I'll ruin you, Alex."
?That way, Alex could belong to him and only him, and no one could change that.
?"You're unhinged."
?James licked the engraving he'd made, soothing it.
"And look how worked up you are because of it.
" James tightened a hand around Alex's throat, tapping a finger in temptation.
Alex practically sobbed at it, his body trembling.
"It turns you on, doesn't it?" James hummed.
"Knowing that it would only take a second for me to kill you, your heart is pounding, your senses heightened, your pupils blown. It must feel incredible."
?Alex's hips were rocking up into him, stuttered and without rhythm. It must've been subconscious, James thought.
?James' legs burned from the exertion and he grinned before kissing Alex's lips. Alex had done well to hold back despite his stereotypical views on control and masculinity. A reward felt in order.
?"It's your turn," he whispered.
?Alex didn't waste time. He threw James back, covering his body with his own, the weight heavy, overpowering.
It was sometimes easy to forget how strong Alex was when the other man was so careful and conscious of it.
But, in times like this, when all reason was thrown out of the window, Alex let it show. James nearly came then and there.
?James wrapped his legs around Alex's waist, the movement causing Alex to sink into him. He groaned, long and loud, his own cock rubbing against Alex's lower stomach.
?"I'm not delicate," James said, his hands creeping around Alex's back, flicking the short-shaven hair at the base of his neck. "So, don't hold back."
?Alex didn't disappoint. He attacked James' shoulders and neck with his teeth, sucking and biting. The sensation rose the hairs on James' body, wracking him up.
?"You asked for it," Alex warned.
?Then, he pushed deeper inside James at an unforgiving pace, hammering his prostate and causing him to shout from the excessive sensations that felt downright abusive.
It had entirely captured him, burning him, his head hot and unable to string together coherent thoughts.
He clawed at Alex's skin to feel grounded.
?Alex spared a hand to pump James' cock firmly, without care, squeezing, and it was all just too much.
?"You look so fucking sexy," Alex growled in his ear, biting it. "You have no idea how fucking tempting you are, sin on legs."
?James couldn't answer back, his throat wrecked with pleasured sobs and breaths. James had never felt like he wasn't in control of his body before. But, just then, he was completely enslaved to it.
?It wasn't a matter of submission and dominance, he was simply being ravaged and he loved that he was the one who spurred Alex into this. He didn't have control over himself, but he had absolute control over him.
?James could feel it building up, the needles pricking under his skin. "Fuck, Alex, I'm—"
?Alex cut him off, taking his lips.
?"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he cried against Alex's mouth, spilling over the edge, his orgasm hitting him hard. Alex pumped him through it, thrusting into him at the same time, and James felt high, light-headed.
?James was sensitive and overstimulated, his body stinging as Alex continued, but too weak to do anything about it. Thankfully, Alex followed only moments later, staring down at James' face with what appeared to be awe and astonishment.
?It was a look James liked very much.
?Alex cursed, his voice low and husky, his eyes screwing shut, his lower lip parted and wet. His thrusts slowed, his head coming down to rest on James' chest, his breath hot against James' skin.
?It took a moment for them both to regain their breaths and come down from their high.
Once James thought he was past the point of potentially passing out, he tapped Alex's shoulder and Alex pulled out.
It felt uncomfortable and created the feeling of a void that hadn't been there before. But James would cope.
?"That was good," he said, understating it.
?His skin was wet with sweat and come and he was feeling pretty gross now that it was cooling. He pushed Alex off and sat on the edge of the bed, then stood, swaying only slightly as the blood drained from his head, his vision blurring. Alex caught his arm, concerned.
?James was quick to smack it away. Alex's biases were his own, and James would not enable them.
?Alex nodded, understanding, but he protested. "It wasn't like that."
?James didn't know whether to believe him or not, but it didn't really matter as long as Alex didn't cross the line.
?James soothed the accusation with another kiss, leaning down to press their lips together.
?He wasn't feeling shy, but he didn't know what to say either.
?Alex suddenly winced. "Shit."
?"What?"
?He lightly brushed his knuckles along James' neck and shoulder.
?"I left marks," he admitted.
?Theoretically, James should be mad. But, for some reason, he couldn't conjure up any annoyance. Rather, he felt smug.
?"I can hide them," James said, pulling away to stand up again. He frowned down at his legs, unhappy that they weren't entirely obedient to him. They felt weak.
?"It's spring. It's too hot for that."
?James shrugged. "Okay, well, I don't care."
?"I care."
?James huffed. It was Alex's fault and not James' problem.
?"I'll tell them I went to a brothel."
?He didn't think this was a good time to mention he'd left a few bite marks on Alex's neck himself. He got the feeling it would add fuel to the fire. He'd rather leave it to be a surprise for the man later on.
?Alex groaned in annoyance, falling onto his back, the bed creaking.
?"They already know we're fucking. If you say that, they'll just pity me."
?"It's your fault," James reminded him, searching for his towel so he could cover himself and return to the inn's bath. No doubt the staff would know what he'd been up to; seeing their embarrassed faces would be amusing.
?"I know," Alex muttered.
?James found his towel and wrapped it around his waist. It was good enough. He walked to the door but was stopped before he could pull the handle.
?"Hey," Alex said.
?James looked back. "Hey."
?"I don't believe you when you say you've never done that before."
?James snorted. "What, are you jealous?"
?Alex lifted his head and glared at him.
?James blinked.
?"Seriously?"
?Alex bristled. "Well, no one wants to hear about the past escapades of the person they're involved with, do they?"
?James raised his eyebrows. "Are we involved with each other?"
?"You're being deliberately obtuse."
?"Yeah, and I've also got your semen up my arse and I want to go have a bath."
?"That doesn't sound 'involved' to you?"
?James laughed heartily. "I guess you got me there. Is there anything else you want before I go, dear?"
?Alex sighed, letting his head fall backwards again, waving him away. "Okay, okay. Go."
?"Thank you for the permission," James teased.
?"Like you need it."
?Alex was cute, so cute. James wouldn't have forgiven anyone else for making him this sore but Alex was just that endearing. Alex could burn the inn down and James would tell him not to worry about it, squeezing him in for a soothing hug like a constricting snake.
?It was certain, then. James had to have him.
?If he put the effort in, James could get whatever he wanted. It had always been a matter of motivation. He would succeed because that's what he wanted.
?He grinned to himself as he walked through the corridors to the bathroom, humming. He was excited.
?His. Alex would be his.